Sasuke Uchiha
Sasuke Uchiha (うちはサスケ, Uchiha Sasuke) is one of the last surviving members of Konohagakure's Uchiha clan. Since his childhood, he made it his goal to exact revenge against his older brother, Itachi, who had slaughtered their entire clan. Initially a member of Konoha's Team 7, Sasuke defected from the village to obtain power from Orochimaru, and later affiliated with the Akatsuki, becoming an international criminal in the process. He later proves instrumental in ending the Fourth Shinobi World War, before finally being redeemed by his rival yet best friend, Naruto Uzumaki. After travelling as a nomadic vagabond in order to analyse the world, Sasuke returned to the village he once sought to destroy — and continued to protect it for years to come. He is the younger brother of Itachi Uchiha and also the youngest son of Mikoto and Fukaku. Background Sasuke is the second and youngest son of the Konoha Military Police Force captain and Uchiha clan head, Fugaku Uchiha, and his wife Mikoto Uchiha and was the first of Indra Ōtsutsuki's reincarnations to be born into the era of relative peace. Mikoto named him after the father of the Third Hokage in hopes that he would grow up to be a great ninja like his name's sake.7 During his early childhood, Sasuke greatly admired his older brother Itachi, wanting to be more like him. Even though Itachi would often be too busy to hang out with Sasuke, the brothers would enjoy what little quality time they could together. In the anime, they even made a game collecting paw prints of cats together.8 Sasuke also shared a similar closeness to Shisui Uchiha.9 Despite his love for Itachi, Sasuke constantly lived in his older sibling's shadow, who was an acknowledged prodigy viewed by the Uchiha as a genius, and whose work would further strengthen the bonds between the village and the clan. Sasuke's father in particular took an active interest in Itachi, thereby neglecting Sasuke. Itachi, on the other hand, was rather ambivalent and full of oddly conflicting undercurrents, acknowledging Sasuke by taking interest in his progress as a ninja and spending time playing with him when even their father did not. Even in the Academy, Sasuke was still unable to escape Itachi's shadow.10 Despite consistently scoring at the top of every class, Sasuke failed to receive any recognition from his father beyond comparing his success to his older brother.11 Itachi acknowledged the rivalry Sasuke felt telling him: "We are brothers. I am the wall you must climb over, so you and I will continue to exist together." When Sasuke was seven years old, the relationship between Itachi and his father deteriorated after Itachi was questioned by other members of the Uchiha clan regarding the apparent suicide of his best friend, Shisui. As Itachi's behaviour became increasingly bizarre, Sasuke's father began spending more time with Sasuke, and began teaching him the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, a common family technique seen as a sign of coming of age in the Uchiha clan.12 When Sasuke first tried to perform the technique, he only produced a small flame and after that, some smoke. His father said that Itachi was able to do it on his first try at Sasuke's age, which disappointed him. Later, with one week of training, Sasuke performed the technique in front of his father, proving himself a prodigy as well in his own right and finally receiving his father's individual recognition rather than comparison to Itachi. Sasuke's father told him that he could now proudly wear the clan's emblem on his back. Following this, Sasuke also received a stern warning not to follow in Itachi's footsteps any further, surprising him as before, he was told to be like him; and his father showing he was proud of Sasuke for the first time the same way as he used to with Itachi. At some point in the past, Sasuke joined Itachi on a mission to catch a wild boar. Sasuke was wielding a bow and was told by Itachi not to hit any vital points. However, Sasuke missed the boar completely. Eventually they defeated the boar and Sasuke apologised for his bad aiming, Itachi responded by telling him that he needed to train more. On one fateful night, Itachi slew every member of the Uchiha clan, sparing only Sasuke, saying that he was not even worth killing. In addition, Itachi told him, "You've always wanted to surpass me. That's why I'm going to let you live… if you wish to kill me, then hate me, despise me… and by all means flee, cling to your wretched life." Itachi also revealed to Sasuke where the secret meeting place of the Uchiha was hidden, and suggested that Sasuke go there to learn what the true history and purpose of the Sharingan was. He told him that "to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan," he "had to kill the person he was closest to", and that "when we battle, we should have the same eyes". Sasuke thought he had fainted after this, but later remembered that he had managed to stand back up, awaken his Sharingan, and pursued Itachi. Upon reaching Itachi, he used knives to knock off his forehead protector. Itachi was seen shedding a tear as he was picking up the forehead protector. He then proceeded to incapacitate Sasuke, who awoke in the hospital remembering only that which Itachi wanted him to do. Naruto and Sasuke's rivalry in the Academy. When Sasuke first met Naruto Uzumaki in the Academy, they were matched to spar against each other. Naruto was excited at the opportunity to defeat Sasuke and become popular like him, but he was easily beaten. By looking into Sasuke's eyes, Naruto realised that they were so filled with hatred that it seemed as if he wasn't even looking at Naruto. When Iruka told them to make the reconciliation seal, they both refused.14 Up until his graduation from the Academy, Sasuke remained a loner and never acknowledged Naruto's attempts to defeat him, considering him a hopeless dead-last and as such, someone not worth his time or energy. Despite this, when Naruto and Sasuke traded glance when they were kids, they immediately looked away in annoyance but secretly smiled shortly afterwards, suggesting Sasuke actually considered Naruto a friend somewhere deep down. Personality Fugaku's son and Itachi's brother and had a strong desire to emulate them, desiring his father's approval and recognition.15 This changed after the Uchiha Clan Downfall, turning Sasuke into a cold, cynical and arrogant young man, becoming a self-titled avenger dedicated to killing Itachi and restoring the Uchiha clan.16 During his time at the Academy, Sasuke was a loner, spending more time alone honing his skills than socialising with the other students, ignoring the many girls attracted to him in favour of solitude. When first introduced to Team Kakashi, Sasuke displayed great indifference towards the others, feeling his skills put him so far above his team-mates that they were more of a hindrance to him and his own advancement. Despite this, having worked with Team Kakashi, Sasuke had grown attached to his team and thought of them as somewhat of a family, willing to risk his life to save those close to him on several occasions. Sasuke even admitted to Sakura that he almost thought that he must forget about his revenge and instead focus on Team 7. However, when Orochimaru branded Sasuke with the Cursed Seal of Heaven, this pushed him back to his desire for vengeance and power. Although Kakashi sealed the cursed seal and taught him the Chidori to apease Sasuke's desire for power, this only renewed his desire for revenge even more than before. Sasuke also had a competitive streak, at times accepting Naruto's challenges if only to show that he was superior. According to Kakashi Hatake, Sasuke has both a superiority and an inferiority complex, as he is unwilling to acknowledge when someone is stronger than him, but obsesses when he believes that they are. Sasuke was dismissive of his rivalry towards Naruto when he was certain he was the better, only to obsess over Naruto's fast growth after the latter defeated Gaara. After once more encountering and being defeated by Itachi, Sasuke concluded that his time in Konoha, surrounded by his friends, had made him weak and that Orochimaru and his Cursed Seal of Heaven would give him the power to exact his vengeance. Regardless, Sasuke would not sink to the level he believed Itachi would and kill his closest friend, deciding not to kill Naruto to gain the Mangekyō Sharingan and instead choosing to attain his power his own way. After training under Orochimaru for two-and-a-half years, Sasuke had become a cold and calculating individual, being completely dedicated in his one desire to kill Itachi that his own life didn't matter to him. By severing the ties he believed bound him, Sasuke was seemingly willing to kill Naruto just to prove a point at how much he had changed. Sasuke became increasingly confident in his strength and tended to remain composed and unconcerned. Due to his newfound abilities, he retained his habit of underestimating his opponents, rushing into combat without clearly understanding their abilities and suffering for it, though he would occasionally acknowledge his mistakes. Ironically, he acted much like his brother in battle, calm and composed, and only got worked up emotionally when it involved Itachi. Sasuke had also developed a strong sense of pride in his clan, as evident by his disdain for non-Uchiha to hold the Sharingan.17 Despite this, Sasuke was not above making bonds with those around him, forming a new team that he viewed similarly to Team Kakashi and doing everything in his power to protect them. Sasuke's hatred overwhelms him as he ruthlessly sacrifices Karin. According to Obito Uchiha, Sasuke alone was shouldering the entire hatred of the Uchiha clan — an ideal which has been passed down for generations within the clan. After learning the truth about Itachi's actions and the Uchiha Clan Downfall, despite the fact that the Uchiha's actions would result in disaster for the entire world, including the clan itself, Sasuke vowed revenge against the entire village of Konoha for giving such an order to Itachi, wishing to wipe out the village and purify the Uchiha name. Sasuke quickly grew to loathe the village that he once called home and sought to destroy it to separate any connection it had to the Uchiha clan. At first, Sasuke was at least unwilling to kill those unrelated to his revenge, but as his hatred increased over time, such convictions were dropped, becoming cruel and ruthless.18 In his thirst for revenge, Sasuke put himself far above anyone or anything around him; willingly cooperating with Tobi, whom he knew helped Itachi wipe out his clan, to aid him in destroying Konoha, abandoning his team when they were no longer of use to him. This was seen when he abandoned Jugo and Suigetsu later sacrificed Karin to kill Danzō Shimura, despite her healing him throughout most of their mission.19 Despite his arrogance and brutality, Sasuke is not above praising (albeit sarcastically) to his enemies as he commended Gaara for his strength and later admitted to Kakashi he was very skilled for having a Sharingan despite not being a Uchiha. Due to being too consumed by his hatred, Sasuke no longer felt any emotional ties to anyone, such as when he tried to kill Sakura after she confronted him and when he rejected Gaara's advice to give up his vengeance. After expressing exhilaration at fulfilling his revenge and even declaring that killing all the Konoha residents as a high priority and satisfaction, Kakashi, Sakura, Gaara, and the rest of Konoha 11 completely lost all hope for him. He also showed great homicidal rage whenever someone mentioned Itachi in a way he perceived as negative, as shown when Kakashi tried to make him understand there was more to his life than his clan and hatred, and Sasuke replied he wanted to hear their screams and moans for laughing at Itachi's sacrifice. After meeting with Naruto a final time before the Fourth Shinobi World War began, Sasuke vowed to kill Naruto in his quest for revenge, leading him to take Itachi's eyes to awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. During the war, Sasuke met with a reincarnated Itachi and demanded to know why he was spared during the massacre and why Itachi lied to him so much. Before he can get his answers, the two worked together to defeat Kabuto Yakushi to release the Impure World Reincarnation. During their conversations, Sasuke confronted Itachi over his decisions.20 While Sasuke claimed the reunion with Itachi only intensified his hatred towards Konoha, he began to question if revenge is the purpose for his life. Despite this, he was willing to forgive Itachi, but was unwilling to forgive the village, despite his intent to destroy it was against Itachi's wishes. When Itachi gave Sasuke his parting words, Sasuke began to question what it was to be a shinobi and why Itachi would choose to lose everything for the village and his brother. His desire for answers led him to revive Orochimaru, who noted how much Sasuke had changed from how he was when being manipulated by Itachi, Tobi, and himself. Orochimaru agreed to reincarnate the previous Hokage so he could listen to their stories and allow Sasuke to be his own person without being manipulated by anyone for the first time in his. After getting his answers, Sasuke accepted Itachi's actions and decided to protect Konoha, but he would do so his own way. Believing that the previous Hokage, and the current five Kage were responsible for the world and its problems, he vowed to become Hokage and change it, seemingly breaking free from his clan's Curse of Hatred. While these intentions were noble, quite a few were less than enthusiastic for him to rejoin their cause, not trusting his motives; Sakura and Sai among them. Regardless, Sasuke fought with the sole intention of defeating Obito, Madara Uchiha, and the Ten-Tails, though his reasons were to clear the slate for the new world and that he was only protecting Naruto so that only he could defeat him later.2122 Sasuke was one of a few shinobi to never lose his resolve in the battle against the Ten-Tails, even chastising Naruto for almost doing so. However, Sasuke was thoroughly intimidated by Naruto's new skills, since he always believed that he was stronger than Naruto and even possessed more advantages due to his lineage. Regardless, Sasuke's characteristic devotion to his cause remained unchanged, as he was more than willing to abandon Kakashi and Sakura during the casting of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, only saving them with his Susanoo because they happened to be with Naruto at the time. He is not above thanking others for helping him however, such as Sakura and Obito when they saved him from one of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's dimensions. Sasuke's resolve to recreate the Shinobi World in his own way. After defeating Kaguya, Sasuke revealed his plans, having adopted a very dark version of the Will of Fire, if not a combination of the Curse of Hatred and Will of Fire. He would make himself the villain for the world to focus their hatred on, giving them a common goal to keep them united. To accomplish this, he planned to kill off the tailed beasts to prevent further fighting over their immense power and by killing the Five Kage, to get all five villages to focus their hatred on him and him alone instead of on each other. Realising this would require him to cut all ties with his previous life and Naruto would never stop chasing him so long as he lived, he also resolved to kill his best and only friend. Having come to terms with and accepting Itachi's efforts of protecting the village while branded as a villain, Sasuke had come to believe that to unify the world, one must willingly bear the hatred of all around him and stand separated from the rest of the world, viewing that as the correct definition of being "Hokage". To do so, he intended to ignite the flames of hatred in every village and focus it on him, becoming the villain everyone despises. Also, believing firmly in starting anew in all aspects, Sasuke desired to sever all bonds of his past and present, even killing Naruto, whom Sasuke has acknowledged as the closest friend he's ever had.23 Growing arrogant of his acquired power, Sasuke came to believe he might be the strongest being alive and his power would ultimately grant him immortality to continue his goal for eternity. After his final battle with Naruto, Sasuke overcomes his Curse of Hatred. However, after his final battle with Naruto at the Valley of the End, Sasuke was shocked by the lengths that Naruto would go for him. He revealed he had always been jealous of Naruto for the fact that despite them being so similar, Naruto turned the loneliness he felt into strength by making bonds with others, while Sasuke pushed those bonds away, thinking them to be a weakness, and subjected himself to training and solitude instead. In the process, Sasuke found himself always following behind Naruto just as he did with his older brother Itachi.24 Moved to tears by his friend's determination, Sasuke conceded defeat and acknowledged Naruto's friendship, ultimately overcoming his Curse of Hatred.25 He showed great remorse for his actions and went as far as to apologise to Sakura and karin for all he had put her through. He even showed genuine affection towards her before he left to explore the world and seek redemption for himself. This mutual affection with Karin later led him to finally falling in love with her, leading to the two getting married and having a daughter. Sasuke pokes Sarada's forehead - an act of affection he inherited from Itachi. As an adult, Sasuke has matured in many ways — becoming a genuinely warm and caring person towards his wife and daughter, and also being more polite and friendly to his friends and comrades. He has also completely abandoned the Curse of Hatred and accepted the Will of Fire. However, he still retained his cool, collected attitude for the most part and is occasionally capable of cold indifference if he's speaking with someone he doesn't trust, or less commonly if he's forced to keep a secret, such as giving his own daughter the cold shoulder when she questions him about his absence in her life. Despite the fact that he had to be away from his new family, Sasuke still holds a strong connection to them in his own way, noticeably reacting when Sakura and karin and Sarada are talking about him from far away. Sasuke also developed a strong sense of duty, while retaining much of his independent and matter-of-fact personality, becoming more like Itachi, which included his brother's tendency to be emotionally distant with his family for the sake of his duties. This, ultimately, made it difficult for him to be a family man. When meeting his daughter again in years, she interrogated him about why he was away for so long and he was blunt about it by saying it didn't concern her, because he didn't want her to get involved in anything that would bring her harm. However, Sasuke loves his daughter dearly, as he put himself in harm's way in order to protect her,26 and showed great affection towards her once the fighting was over by embracing her when he noticed she was sad that he had to return to his travelling after briefly returning home.27 He also acknowledges his mistakes as a father and is willing to apologize for them.28 Sasuke also holds a high opinion of karin; despite her having been kidnapped, he stated his confidence she will probably have finished off Shin Uchiha by the time they find her and criticised Orochimaru for thinking she's weak. Before he left to resume his mission, Sasuke comically leaves without kissing his wife, much to her dismay. He is also very protective of his wife and daughter, as he threatened Orochimaru after Shin attacked them. Sasuke has also become rather soft; despite berating Naruto for being soft by sparing the Shin clones if they agreed to stop fighting, Sasuke still went with the decision and only pondered on what to do with them. When Daisuke uzumaki demanded to be his pupil, Sasuke was initially reluctant to accept his offer unless he mastered the Rasengan, but ultimately agreed to after he saw the amount of effort daisukr put into learning it. He develops a fondness for Boruto, to the point where Boruto refers to him as "Uncle Sasuke" and Sasuke is willing to risk his life to protect Daisuke, and offers him encouragement, as seen when he told the boy that he was a strong male ninja with the potential to surpass his father.